Washington Insight

BIBLIOPOLITICS: During a visit here last week, Sister Mary Rose McGeady, who runs programs in New York for homeless teen-age mothers, exchanged reading suggestions with House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The Georgia Republican touted “The Tragedy of American Compassion” by Marvin N. Olasky, who argues that a society’s compassion should not be judged by how much its government spends to support the poor but by how much individuals do to help the less fortunate. To enlighten Gingrich, who advocates orphanages for welfare children whose mothers are denied benefits and are unable to care for them, McGeady recommended “Separation” by the British author John Bowly. It describes the deep scars inflicted on children separated from their biological parents.

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DEFENSE CARROT: The Pentagon is fuming about a White House decision to put off an emergency request for almost $2.5 billion to offset the cost of peacekeeping operations. The Office of Management and Budget is delaying the proposal to include it in legislation seeking $10 billion in extra domestic spending. Adm. Jeremy Michael Boorda, chief of naval operations, warns that if the Defense Department does not receive the funds by mid-March, it will have to slash training and modernization again. But White House budget-makers argue that they want the military funding included to entice the new Pentagon-sensitive Republican Congress to approve the extra money for civilian programs.

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PART-TIME RETREAT: One unexpected loser in the GOP congressional landslide may have been former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, who built his looming 1996 GOP presidential campaign around the catchy idea that Congress should be part-time. When Alexander appeared recently at a Republican state convention in Louisiana, his audience appeared perplexed by suggestions that Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), Gingrich and the rest of the GOP-controlled Congress should spend half the year working jobs at home. Aides to Alexander acknowledge that his message had more appeal when Democrats controlled Congress, but insist he will stick to the theme. Other Republican strategists expect him to gradually downplay the idea.

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DEMO GRUMBLING: Democratic state chairmen are hoping the new regime taking over the party’s national committee this week will be more generous to their organizations. According to Florida Democratic vice chair Jon Ausman, the old leaders stirred resentment by spending big bucks for polling data and failing to share all the results with the locals. Another complaint, Ausman said, is that the national committee failed to turn back to the states a cut of the riches it reaped at local fund-raisers. He adds that he is convinced chairman-designate Don Fowler will do better.

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FINE PRINT: The “contract with America” appears to be arguing with itself, at least in two areas. GOP leaders want to cut spending, in part by selling off a House office building and trimming the staff payroll. But when Republicans fulfilled another contract pledge this week by winning approval of legislation subjecting Congress to labor laws that apply to the rest of America, they ensured that House workers will need more, not less, office space to meet labor standards. And if Gingrich follows through on his promise to hold lawmakers in session until midnight on many nights, the House will have bought itself a huge bill for overtime--which congressional employees are entitled to for the first time.